This invention relates to the field of container filling equipment. More specifically, it relates to the field of equipment for preparing and conveying containers, such as milk bottles, to automatic filling equipment. The traditional method of packaging milk of similar fluids has been to utilize glass containers or plastic coated paper containers which are maintained in a sanitized condition prior to filling. Recently, however, due to technological advance and cost efficiency, plastic containers have become increasingly utilized for this purpose. Such containers are usually blow molded from suitable plastic, such as polyethylene, at a plastic molding facility. The nature of the manufacturing process renders the interior of these containers sanitary and thus, if they are maintained in a sealed condition prior to filling, no additional sanitizing steps need be taken.
To achieve that purpose the plastic containers have heretofore been packaged in large polyethylene bags. The disadvantage of this procedure is that the packing is usually accomplished manually and the unpacking similarly requires manual labor. Further, once unpacked at the bottling plant, such containers often must travel a considerable distance in an unprotected condition thereby possibly permitting contamination prior to being filled and capped.
A recent development to solve this problem has been the use of pressure sensitive tape cut to an appropriate size and shape to be attached to and seal the opening of each container as it comes off the plastic molding line at the point of manufacture. A number of such tapes have been developed as well as equipment for applying the tape to the containers.
At present, however, there has been no satisfactory mechanism developed for automatically removing the pressure sensitive tape when the containers are on a filling line and ready to receive fluid. In many cases it is necessary to manually remove the tape and this adds unnecessary expense and is relatively inefficient.
According to the present invention an automatic machine is disclosed for removing the pressure sensitive tape utilized to seal unfilled containers. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for removing pressure sensitive tape from the tops of empty containers.
Another object of the invention is to provide a tape removal device which need not be synchronized to the bottle conveying line but will remove tape from bottles as they pass by the unit.
A further object of the invention is to provide a rotary tape remover employing vacuum to lift the tape from a container and a pressure source to positively deposit the tape in a collection bin to prevent jamming of the device.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the remaining portion of the specification.